‘Tis the Spring season, and with it comes the Spring allergies. Many people fall victim to pollen’s stronghold and experience unwanted symptoms of sneezing, coughing, itchy/red eyes, and more. And what’s worse, I often hear people express frustration with the over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription allergy medications because they receive either little to no relief for their symptoms. Finally, your prayers have been heard and I’m here to present some all natural remedies to give you that coveted relief.
TOP 5 NATURAL REMEDIES FOR ALLERGY RELIEF
1.) NETI POT/ NASAL IRRIGATION: It sounds crazy to pour water into your nose and have it come out through your other nostril, but it actually works. Why does it work? When you irrigate (or pour water inside) your nose with saline solution (salt water), this action helps to clean out any pollen, dander, dust, etc that may be sticking inside on your sinuses. And if your nose is free of these irritants, then VIOLA…no sneezing or other nasal symptoms. See neti pot video for a demonstration of how to use it.
2.) STINGING NETTLE TEA/ SUPPLEMENTS: Stinging nettle is an unique plant weed (common in the United States) that has the ability to block your body’s histamine response. In other words, it’s an all-natural antihistamine without any of the bad side effects of OTC or Rx drugs. You can experience it’s benefits by making your own tea from the leaves or taking 300 mg/day of the freeze dried extract. For the tea, you can purchase the stinging nettle teas or leaves from a specialty health food store or from online. To brew, simply add the tea/leaves to boiling hot water, remove the pot from heat, and let it steep for 20 minutes. You can drink this tea 2-3 times a day for allergy relief.**Butterbur is another common weed with antihistamine properties, but be careful not to take this if you’re allergic to ragweed or it’ll worsen your allergy symptoms.
3.) QUERCETIN: Quercetin is a bioflavonoid and antioxidant found in a myriad of fruits and vegetables (i.e. apples, red onions, red grapes, citrus fruit, broccoli, leafy greens, etc). It has powerful anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. A good abundance of this flavonoid helps keep allergy symptoms away. If you rather pop a vitamin form of quercetin, purchase the 500mg capsules and take one capsule twice daily. For better absorption, you can also take 100mg of bromelian along with the quercetin. **Remember to consult your physician first before your begin this supplementation.
4.) HONEY: That’s right, I said honey! Incorporating at least 1/2tsp daily of local honey (or local comb honey) into your diet actually improves your allergies. Essentially, you’re doing another form of “natural” immunotherapy. Local honey is made from local bees who use the pollen of local flowers to create their honey. Ingesting this local honey prepares your immune system for the local pollen that usually aggravates it when Spring arrives.
5.) MEDITATION/STRESS RELIEF: Now this may seem as a surprise, but there is a strong correlation between allergies and stress. Keep in mind, our bodies function at their best when we are in balance. Being in balance includes maintaining harmony with your mind, body, and soul. When one of the three is in distress, the other two will experience a strain or stress as well. In the case of allergies, experiencing excessive stress or trauma can strain your adrenal glands and cause an immuno-response (a.k.a allergies) to develop. One example is if you find yourself experiencing worse allergy symptoms now than ever before, then there might be another stress factor involved other than pollen. So do yourself a favor…take a few moments each day to relax or de-stress.
Additional Helpful Reads:
A Dose of Vitamin Ray 